The present invention relates to a sample taking device, for toxic and/or radioactive substances, for guiding a sample vessel in a holder to one of a plurality of needle head filling systems having upwardly oriented hollow needles and to a feeder and discharge line for putting the sample vessel into or taking it out of the holder.
Sample taking devices capable of taking samples from individual processing vessels are required for monitoring and controlling processes, for example during reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuels. In addition to dissolved toxic and/or radioactive substances, the fluids involved in such processes frequently contain greater or lesser amounts of solid components consisting of undissolved fuel remnants, fission product noble metals or degradation products of the extraction agent. These solid components are deposited at the surfaces of the sample taking systems in contact with the surrounding medium and the radiation emanating from them increases the difficulties attendant to the maintenance and repair of the sample taking devices.